CHICAGO – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced the awarding of a $216,000 workforce training grant to Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, which will allow the school’s economic development arm to administer critical skills training to 840 workers at 19 different companies. The grant comes as a part of Opportunity Returns, the Governor’s pro-active, comprehensive economic development strategy designed to spur the economy and create jobs across Southwest Illinois. The grant is being awarded through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP).
“The best way to keep the regional economy expanding and creating more jobs is to continue investing in the skills of our workers. By partnering with Southwestern Illinois College, we’re helping boost the skills of more than 800 workers across this region. That means we’re not only enhancing the efficiency, productivity and competitiveness of local businesses today, but positioning the local economy for more vigorous growth tomorrow,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
The Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) is a new generation of employer-focused, customized training grants created through the “21st Century Jobs” Training Initiative. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) administers the ETIP grants, which reimburse companies and organizations for up to 50 percent of the costs of training their employees. The training will be provided by the college’s Center for Training Innovations and will focus mainly on Quality-ISO-Safety, Technical/Workplace skills and I.T./Computer Skills.
The ETIP grant is the second workforce training grant Southwestern Illinois College has received from the Governor’s Opportunity Returns program in as many years. In January of last year, the school received an ETIP grant of nearly $200,000 to train 1,220 employees from 22 participating companies
"This workforce training grant reflects Gov. Blagojevich's understanding that the best way to help businesses meet their constantly changing needs and stay productive and profitable in the marketplace is to provide hands-on support. Training grants such as these that enhance the quality and efficiency of a company’s workforce do exactly that and will keep our local economy moving full-speed ahead,” State Senator James Clayborne (D-East St. Louis) said “Gov. Blagojevich and I strongly believe that for our manufacturers to remain productive and competitive, they must operate more efficiently than ever before. This grant to Southwestern Illinois College will provide training to 19 companies and 840 individuals, producing a better-trained workforce that will help our economy grow and expand. These kinds of initiatives that work at the community level are what effective economic development is all about,” said State Rep. Wyvetter Younge (D-East St. Louis).
Over the past two years, Gov. Blagojevich’s Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) has provided nearly $2.6 million to companies in Southwest Illinois to boost the skills of nearly 12,500 workers.
“Developing and retaining a talented workforce is a top priority for area businesses. The payoff for investing in employee development programs is a more committed workforce that helps drive bottom line results. We’re proud to partner with the Gov. Blagojevich’s Employer Training Investment Program to build a more competitive business climate and more vibrant local economy,” said Lynette Rienbolt, Director of the Center for Training Innovations at Southwestern Illinois College.
“Gov. Blagojevich has made it a top priority to ensure that the state’s workforce programs act as an invaluable partner to business. The Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) provides critical resources to local businesses to train their workers in cutting-edge technologies, and it delivers those resources on demand. Investments like these are the key to building a world-class workforce in Illinois that acts as vigorous engine of economic growth and job creation,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.